The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-24
A TIMELY PROTEST.

A TIMELY PROTEST.
Whatever may be said of the ladies in
general, as 10 their knowledge of poll
tics. some Of them at least know a
thing or two" as the saying goes, and
are very clever. This is illustrated by a
timely circular protest which the Off
GERS of the National Woman Suffrage
Association have just issued, said Off
GERS being Susan B. Anthony, Matilda
Joslyn Gage and Lille Devereux Blake,
OF New York; R 4ehel g. Foster, of
Pennsylvania, and Mary Wright
SewalI, of Indiana. Taking advantage
of the gathering in Philadelphia to eel
citrate the centennial of the adoption of
the Constitution. the ladies named sent
out, addressed to the President of
the United States, the governors of
States and other Federal and
State officials. a protest against
the unjust Interpretation of the
Constitution. The occasion was emf
nently appropriate, and the protest
itself was carefully and cleVerly
Worded. It should attract attention and
promote the cause to which these
able and earnest women are deyoting
their time and talents. They have
cause, and they make it very plain in
this paper; they also show thai the,sex
is entitled to greater political rights
than have been accorded it by men.
The ladies remind the officials that II
the midst of the pomps and glories Of
the celebration, women are only on
lockers, Yoiceless and unrepresented;"
and assert that the injustice is inflicted
IN defiance of the PROVISIONS of the Con-
stitution. They point out that whereas
the instrument was ordained and es-
tablished by the people of the United
States" one-baf the. people-the
Women-are allowed no voice in execut-
ing the provisions of the Constitution
Continuing, the protest declares:
We find it declared in Art. l, Sec. 2. That
"The House of Representatives shall be
EOIQDOSeQ
people, One half of the people of every
State are women and yet they have never
been permitted to choose the members OF
the House of Representatives. We protest
that this important provision OF the Constl-
tuition has been shamefuliy violated and
that the denial to women of the right thus
plainly secured to them, has been grevious
wrong.
We ind that in art ", Section 2, it is de-
elared: THE cit zenS of each State shall be
crnf1T lad N oil ba n
of the several States" The supreme
Court of the United States has ruled that
women ara citizens, and yet these millions
of citizens are denied the privilege OF the
ballot, v hich is throughout the land
granted to male citizens and refused to
female citizens. We protest, therefore, that
in thus denying to women the exercise OF
the elective franchise, the fundamental
rights of citizenship are WI hheld In de-
fRnce of direct provision of the Constitu-
zion.
We find that in Art. ~, Sec 4. it is de-
cIared that: THE United States shall
guarantee 70 every State in the Union Re
publican form OF government y A Republic
IS defined as "a State governed by represen-
tatives elected by the citizens" Ore half
of the citizens of every state are women;
they have never been permitted to elect the
officials who have held rule over them. We
protest, therefore. that the provisions OF |
this article have meyer been fulfilled, that
not a solitary State in the Union has a
Republican firm of government. But, that |
on the contrary, each and every one is a
despodsm under which one-haIt the |
citizens are held in a position of political |
slavery.
The women are right in asserting that
the recital of these facts is the summary |
of century of injustice. 1t is glazing |
injustice to every woman who wants to |
exercise the right or privilege. as may |
be preferred, of voting and holding |
Office. 1t is injustice to all those, but is
it injustice to the masses of American |
women? Is it injustice to deny some
thing that would be rejected if offered? |
In the repugnance of the women to fe-
male suffrage the sufragists may find
the most potential opponent to their
cause. Nevertheless under our system |
of government and according to
modern estimate of women, the sex is
entitled to, and should have the right,
equally with men, to voice in the
government of the State. If she does
not care to exercise the privilege, if she
is willing to entruSt the responsibility to |
and desires to impose the labor on her
husband, brother and father, that is
affair, and not the States.
Miss Anthony and associates turn a
very clever point in their protest, and
we only wish their appeal were sup
ported by enough of their sisters to
make it formidable. AS there are per-
haps ten women protesting against
woman suffrage to every one who faVors
It, the cause is not likely to receive the
whichits merits demand.
4 New York magistrate fined man
lI0 for 81 bring at an opera. Perhaps it
did not occur to the Judge to ask about
the opera. In some cases the opera